Ballerina. A well known Ukrainian-Soviet dancer and teacher, she studied with her mother and then at the Petrograd Ballet School under Vaganova. She made her debut as ‘Princess Florine' before graduating in 1931, and six months after joining GATOB (Kirov) she danced ‘Odette-Odile'. A brilliantly virtuoso dancer with a powerful jump, she danced all the classical roles but also created many new roles in new ballets including the title role (her most famous creation) in Chabukiani's 'Laurencia' (1939); also K Sergeyev's 'Cinderella' (1946), Zakharov's 'The Bronze Horseman' (1949), Jacobson's 'Shuraleh' (1950), and Fenster's 'Taras Bulba' (1955). Though lacking the expressive acting talents of dancers like Ulanova, she dominated the company for much of her career, only retiring from principal roles when she was 52. She taught the class of Perfection at the Kirov from 1951 to 1970) and in addition taught at the Leningrad Ballet School (from 1964) and was repetiteur at the Kirov. She frequently appeared in film and television and was made People's Artist of the USSR in 1957 and appointed to the order of the Red Banner in 1973. She was married to the dancer and choreographer Konstantin Sergeyev. (bio by: Medora)